'Heinous and atrocious': Mamata Banerjee demands ex-BJP spokespersons' arrest

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit out at suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Kumar Jindal for their recent controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed, that drew condemnations from several Islamic nations, and demanded their immediate arrest.

Without naming Sharma and Jindal, Banerjee tweeted, “I condemn the recent heinous and atrocious hate speech remarks by a few disastrous BJP leaders, resulting in not only spread of violence, but also division of the fabric of the country, leading to disturbance of peace and amity.”

“I strongly seek that the accused leaders of BJP be arrested immediately so that the unity of the country is not disturbed and people at large do not face mental agony,” she added.

Banerjee’s tweets come days after Sharma was suspended by the BJP for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Prophet during a debate show on a TV news channel. The West Bengal chief minister also appealed to “brothers and sisters from all castes, creeds, religions, and communities to maintain peace in the larger interest of the common people, despite the provocations".

The BJP leaders' remarks triggered sharp reactions from Gulf countries. Terror group al Qaeda reportedly issued a letter threatening suicide attacks in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai and Delhi to "fight for the dignity of our Prophet". Allegedly referring the Sharma’s remark, al Qaeda warned that "saffron terrorists should now await their end in Delhi and Bombay and in UP and Gujarat".

Meanwhile, the Delhi police registered a case against several persons, including Sharma, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and head of Dasna Devi temple Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati and several others under various provisions for spreading hateful messages, inciting groups and creating an atmosphere detrimental to the maintenance of public tranquillity.